Speeches
Friday, 20 March 2026
Reception for Tourism Industry Council South Australia
I am delighted to welcome you to Government House to celebrate the winners of the State and national Tourism Awards.
To everyone here, congratulations and thank you for your consistent commitment, resilience and enthusiasm for innovation.
That standard of excellence is demonstrated by eight operators being inducted into the South Australian Tourism Awards Hall of Fame, 71 medals awarded locally, and 11 medals presented in the National Awards.
Your passion for what you do, which informs your warm interactions with visitors, ensures our tourism industry continues to build outstanding, memorable experiences.
The winners list demonstrates why South Australia is such a great place to explore and explore again, and the diversity of the award winners demonstrates the breadth of the industry from small operators to larger businesses.
One of our State’s advantages is that we have tourism attractions within close proximity to each other. It only takes a day to go from the sea to the wine regions, to further afield.
Our scenery ranges from beautiful coastlines to rugged Outback vistas.
We have vibrant festivals that showcase music, opera, theatre and stand up and bring us together in celebration - something that Rod and I are thoroughly enjoy each Fringe and Festival.
We have exceptional food and wine in fine dining establishments equal to those anywhere in the country, in simpler but nonetheless high-quality restaurants and bistros, or at markets, whether the famous Central Market or the farmers’ markets such as that at Willunga, where Rod and I shop from time to time.
We have world class sporting events such as LIV Golf and the Women’s Australian Open, the Tour Down Under and more coming.
Underpinning all of these are people such as you who bring their stories, talents and expertise to what they do, enriching the experiences of their customers.
As I have mentioned at previous TicSA receptions, Rod and I have often used the winners list to guide our personal travels in South Australia.
Like so many others who have stood before the stunning amphitheatre of the ancient mountains of the Flinders Ranges, I am always awestruck by their beauty. But it was the Aboriginal Art and sharing of culture at Wadna by Kristian and Gaby Coulthard that deepened the experience.
Seeing exotic animals come out at sunset to drink at the waterhole at the Monarto Safari Resort was a magic time.
And in the Barossa, there’s nothing quite like driving down that iconic avenue of palm trees at Seppeltsfield, where, laid out before you, is history among the vines and the promise of world class food and wine in wineries and restaurants as far as the eye can see.
Friends
I know that there have been many challenges to the tourism industry over the past year: increasing operating costs; cost of living pressures, the algal bloom and now the uncertainties and cost increases arising from war in the Middle East.
That conflict has had an impact here with international travel cancellations and concerns about fuel availability particularly in regional areas.
I congratulate you all on your resilience in managing these challenges, including by accessing opportunities such as the Coast is Calling cashback scheme and tourism vouchers.
I thank TicSA for your advocacy as the industry’s peak body and your support for tourism as well as the judging panel for your diligence in what is an exacting task.
Again, congratulations to all the winners here today. I know our tourism future is in the hands of people who care deeply about our State.